Happy Anniversary to the one I'll always want, even when I'm too old to remember what I'm supposed to want you for!
Barney~~
I read somewhere and definately believe a successful marriage has three necessary elements:
Friendship, Intimacy and Passion
That’s us!!
I think we have tried to teach our children that in a relationship the first, greatest, and longest lasting joy in life should be their other half.
Our children, of course, are my heart. They are as much a part of me as an arm or leg. Their joys are my joys; their sorrows are my sorrows and their fears are my fears. But you my sweet husband are the SOURCE of all the good things in my life, and you have been for the past 26 years.
The basis of a successful marriage is friendship. According to the late, great Ann Landers, “Love is friendship that has caught fire.” That is indeed what happened in our case. You were Barney..Diane's brother..I didn't really think anything beyond that. It didn't take long for that to change. We never really went on an official date. We just got married and NEVER looked back!
As our relationship grew, the friendship remained at the very core. You have been at my side through thick and thin, the births of our girls, the struggles we have shared with our children over their challenges and our own serious personal struggles. Each one has made our relationship stronger. There is no one I would rather sit with, talk to, laugh with, or just be with . We do not always see eye to eye but some how we just click.
Intimacy is also a vital quality for a successful marriage. I can share anything with you, including every fear and every embarrassment. You are always in my corner. I can also expect good advice. Although I’d like to say that we agree on everything, the truth is a bit different. We are not afraid to gently chide each other, or suggest a different approach to a situation. You are a much more out spoken person than I am; in fact, you are probably the most out spoken person I know, I admire that about you more than I can say (well, most of the time anyway LOL).
Everyone knows about the passion part of marriage. What I didn’t know 26 years ago was that the passion only increases. The boy I married because I liked, loved and was attracted to him is now the man who held my hand in labor, who tenderly nurtures our children and grandchildren, who supported me through my personal struggles and who has become a man I deeply respect and admire. I still like you, I certainly love you, and I am more attracted to you than ever, but even that does not adequately express the passion I feel for you 26 years after you captured my heart.
I am the luckiest woman alive, and I know it. You made all of my dreams come true, including the most important one. You showed me that true love is real.
There are additional components beyond the three I mentioned. Commitment and compromise are vital. A lifetime together involves a lot of huge decisions, and the ability to compromise is necessary to smooth the way. There have been a lot of compromises: about many different things, about whose needs will be met when. If you can’t compromise, a marriage can sink. And when compromise seems improbable, commitment to the relationship, to making sure that everything works out, and to hanging on even when it seems like it might not, can tide you over to better times.
I Love you more and more every day! Thank you for sharing your life with me!
~~Linda
Thinking of you
My dad would be 84 years old today! He passed away December 2, 2003 after a very long battle with emphysema. He was such a giving man that worked hard all his life for his family. I never saw him turn away from someone in need. I remember him seeing someone standing on the corner once when I was with him with one of those signs saying they needed help. He never stopped and gave them money because he said a lot would use that to buy alcohol or drugs. What he did do was go to the store and buy a bag full of groceries and drop that off to them. That always made such an impression on me. I love and miss my dad so so so much.
He will ALWAYS be my hero!!
My sweet mom would have been 79 years old today. I can't believe she's been gone for almost 22 years. She was one of the most loving and kind people I have ever known and I miss her more than words could say. She taught me so many things and I have tons of fantastic memories of her. I see her when I look at my girls. They each have a little bit of her in their personalities even though they never really got to know her. 
